The present invention broadly relates to weaving machines and, more specifically, pertains to a new and improved construction of a weaving machine having a weft thread supply roll or cone which remains outside the weaving shed during weft insertion and from which weft thread is unwound during weft insertion, a selvedge-laying or tucking in needle for laying or tucking in ends of the weft thread which lie outside the weaving shed into a subsequently formed weaving shed and a jet or air nozzle for transferring the ends of the weft thread to the selvedge-laying or tucking-in needle.
In a known weaving machine of this type (cf. European Patent Application Ser. No. 83 810,397.6 and the aforementioned cognate U.S. patent application Ser. No. 06/642,542, filed Aug. 20, 1984), a thread guide oscillatingly translatable in the warp direction is provided together with a transfer or threading nozzle at the edge or selvedge of the fabric being woven. The weft thread end clamped by the warp threads at the edge or selvedge region of the fabric being woven is conducted through this thread guide and maintained under tension in this position. Then the transfer or threading nozzle is supplied with blower air. The weft thread end can only subsequently be severed by a shear device and transferred to the selvedge-laying needle.
This weaving machine exhibits the disadvantage that the time at which other operations of the weaving machine related to the fabric edge or selvedge can take place depends upon whether the weft thread is already aligned with the transfer or threading nozzle and whether the transfer or threading nozzle is in operation.